The Milner Novela... Final episode page 296

[Mazrim]

We had all this last year with Young. It seems MON finds the latest Young player of the year and he's wished off to all the big spenders in the media.

I dont see Milner going anywhere this summer. The offer we'd probably listen to I just dont see coming in. I dont care who is supposedly bidding, there will be better value elsewhere for them. Were we a club struggling with money or needing a massive overhaul of the team, maybe. But we're not.

We need to build a team around Milner and we need to add a few players to improve, not wholesale changes. So unless a stupid ridiculous offer comes in, I see no point in selling Milner and I think Randy and MON will see it the same way.

Keep Milner, buy the next young player of the year to play with him, push on and finish above the likes of Man fucking City.
We have a number of players to sell to raise extra funds, Milner had better not be one of them.

[richard moore]

At the risk of being lynched, if it pushes up closer to £30 million I'd be tempted to bite. That's close to a British transfer record, after all.

Last season was big for him, but our midfield still looked overrun and short of ideas for large parts of the campaign. £30 mill on top of any other money set aside from RL would give us a chance to substantially restructure that area and up top.

I accept it might look like a backward step, but a large part of where Tottenham have got to is based on trading at profit. Carrick signed for £3 mill > sold at £16 mill; Berbatov signed for £10 mill > sold for £30 mill and so on.

I won't lynch you as I agree in many ways. Milner is good, maybe potentially very good, but he is not worth anything like that IMO based on one decent season. And he wouldn't take Man City to the sort of level they want to be...

[Greg N'Ash]

Teams generally get worse when they sell their best players. There are exceptions, but thats what they are, exceptions. How we're supposed to compete for 4th if we lose a player every summer is beyond me.

[E I Adio]

Keep Milner, buy the next young player of the year to play with him, push on and finish above the likes of Man fucking City.
We have a number of players to sell to raise extra funds, Milner had better not be one of them.

This! with knobs on.

[Jimbo]

Young player of the year, recently established in England set-up, exemplary attitude, amazing potential, about to be put on world stage in South Africa - don't even think about offering less than 45m.

And should such an offer materialise, wait until he's had a great world cup, and then ask them to double it.

Either Man City or the writer of this article are fucking idiotic. As if we'd sell for such a derisory amount - even 30m - before he went in the football world's greatest shop window. Twats.

[andrew08]

At the risk of being lynched, if it pushes up closer to £30 million I'd be tempted to bite. That's close to a British transfer record, after all.

Last season was big for him, but our midfield still looked overrun and short of ideas for large parts of the campaign. £30 mill on top of any other money set aside from RL would give us a chance to substantially restructure that area and up top.

I accept it might look like a backward step, but a large part of where Tottenham have got to is based on trading at profit. Carrick signed for £3 mill > sold at £16 mill; Berbatov signed for £10 mill > sold for £30 mill and so on.

The spuds anology is spot on. Take the money and reinvest.We're not bank rolled like citeh and chelski but we are well financed enough to trade our squad up every summer.

Good tactics Randy.We can all argue about the man in charge doing the trading up and if he has improved us every season or not. I think he has so carry on..

[PaulWinch again]

I would genuinely only consider something like 40 million and Ireland. If we sell for much less, as Troy says our 'scouting network' is unlikely to unearth anyone.

[Greg N'Ash]

Ignoring the spurs analogy, what about the "standard" analogy? Club sells player for fortune, spends it on crap or not at all and don't improve. *points at Man U*

[Malandro]

Fergie will be knocking on the door this summer.

[Mazrim]

I'm going to agree with greg here. Selling your best players is just never a good idea.
When you've had the best of them, maybe but not when they are going to improve.

[Mazrim]

Fergie will be knocking on the door this summer.

- Knock! knock!

- Who's there?

- Fergie.

- Fuck off, Fergie!

[Ads]

but City believe Randy Lerner is ready to cash in on the former Leeds and Newcastle star. Lerner has told manager Martin O'Neill he must sell before he can buy.

It must have been his 'Milner is not for sale/we won't sell him' comments that lead the Mail to believe this when plucking a rumour out of their arse.

[myf]

Wasn't this year the first season in Milner's career in which he had the same manager at the start and end of it?  If so, I would expect he would like a bit of stability.  I'd like to think he would stay for another year, particularly if MON does.

[supertom]

Milner has a good head on his shoulders. I don't think he'd move on purely for money. I think he's the sort who is quite happy and feels lucky, to be earning what he's earning now. I don't think his eyes would light up and show dollar signs if he was offered 100k a week.

Trophies may come into his thinking, but I do believe with O Neill remaining, we have a good year or two with Milner. If he gets to 27-28 and hasn't won anything here, or we start regressing, then he'd think about moving.

I might be completely wrong, but to me, Milner seems like a model pro, and a lad of real integrity. He knows that a big reason he's now possibly the most sought after English player going, is because of Martin O Neills input.
His progression since he came here has been nothing short of astonishing. I think he'll keep getting better too. If he goes to City or Chelsea, and maybe has to bide some time on the bench, he could stand still. He's gonna be a future England captain.

[LeeB]

Teams generally get worse when they sell their best players. There are exceptions, but thats what they are, exceptions. How we're supposed to compete for 4th if we lose a player every summer is beyond me.

We haven't, so don't panic just yet.